Edgar Allen Poe Died From Rabies

In a nation where myths and legends are accepted as truth when the obvious tells us how wrong we are, one of the nations greatest authors is believed to have died from alcoholism when in fact he died from rabies.

Poe had a habit of drinking too much and using opiates which his enemies used against him constantly. But it was fashionable in his day to use opiates and many fought to keep them legal much as they fought to keep cocaine legal and how we today fight over making marijuana legal. But in Poes case, he hadn't drunk alcohol or used opiates for at least six months before his death and by all accounts, was clean and sober at the time of his death.

Almost all the symptoms he endured fit the profile for rabies including the life expectancy of four days after symptoms first manifest... but many of the symptoms do not fit alcohol or opiate dependency or withdrawals.

Poe was known to possess a fondness for cats and we don't normally think of cats as animals that carry rabies simply because cats behave differently than dogs and most will flee from humans to die away from us where dogs are more territorial and aggressive so that they will stand their ground more than cats.But cats do carry rabies it is said Poe rescued abandoned cats so that it is possible that if an infected cat came into his possession while on a trip or outside of town, this may be where he got the disease.

Many people wonder why I like to try setting the record straight on issues like the US Civil War not being fought over slavery or that Lincoln was actually one of the most corrupt, incompetent leaders we've ever had... George Washingtons incompetence as a British leader set off events that many attribute to causing the French and Indian Wars for which taxation was imposed to cover the costs of and led to the Revolutionary war.

This issue with Poe is why I oppose the myth makers and falsehoods told about American history as it can be said that Poe was a flawed man in many ways... but we've known the truth about the strong evidence he died from rabies for almost two decades now and it was suspected long before that. Yet history still wants to remember that Poe died from alcohol and opiates because it's such a strong part of the myths associated with Poe.

The death of Edgar Allen Poe from rabies might have gotten more research done to find better ways to treat rabies and it could have been a rallying point to encourage people to get their pets vaccinated against rabies as well as to be more careful. While deaths caused by rabies in humans is rare, the reality is that it's that rareness which often leads to misdiagnosis where people become exposed and die from the disease with none knowing unless an autopsy is done that rabies was the cause. The death of such a prominent figure could have brought more attention to the disease and saved countless lives... we might have even found a cure for rabies by now like we did smallpox.

All nations need heroes so no one can really fault us for our myths and legends about Washington and Lincoln as long as the truth is still our there and not censored or hidden from us. There is a reason we need myths like Santa Claus as it makes life a bit more worth living to have our mythological characters whether based on real people or not.

But in the case of Edgar Allen Poe, we see the damage myths can do because this man has been maligned by history while others like Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh received the opposite treatment when their beliefs and support for things like Nazism should have made them among the most condemned and disrespected men in US history.

Learning the truth about history and not letting it be spoonfed to you as truth so that real people become little more than fairy tales can be a dangerous thing... and in the case of Poe, it might be said that his death contributed to the myth and without it being said he died from alcohol and opiates, maybe we wouldn't even remember Poe. But then again, he could be remembered in a much higher status if we knew the real reason for his death instead of the myth and we could have all benefited in ways I'm sure Poe would have appreciated as he did love cats and all cat and dog lovers want the best for their four legged friends... maybe his death could have led to the eradication of rabies or at least to greater awareness to save both the lives of people and their pets.

Very interesting. I love Poe and love teaching The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart and (sometimes) The Pit and the Pendulum. My daughter (in 10th grade) has been a big fan and loves to read his short stories and poems. I think that this article makes a great deal of sense. Thanks for posting.

It is rare now to find any of our prodigy reading anything of value, let alone reading anything. Kudos to your daughter.Are you a teacher now? I am a former college English professor, among many other disreputable endeavors.

Yes, it's my second career and I'm in my sixth year. I teach 7th grade Language Arts. We read "The Tell-Tale Heart" which I snuck in as a "narrative" because I love Poe. I always do "The Raven" around Halloween. I absolutely love teaching. It's so demanding and we make less than almost any other state but I wouldn't do anything else.

I sense that you are very dedicated. Join the club. Although I am retired now, there were many of us then ... and there still are.

I know the feeling of having to "sneak" great literature into the curriculum. However, at the last college where I taught, I always asked permission first just in case that literature might not be approved. It always was approved. Later, I was voted chair of the general education department ... and then I wrote the curriculum, with the consensus of the instructors.

We've actually always taught the classics. The past couple of years they've read "The Jungle Book", "Lord of the Flies", "Hiroshima", and this past year, "The Glass Menagerie." I don't get a chance to have extras (like short stories, etc.) as much as I'd like so I try to creatively incorporate other pieces of literature. This year, we are not doing class novels, but students are self-selecting theirs and we're using shorter texts to teach skills.

When I end a post with "God Speed," that is my way of ending the discussion. However, in your case you are an exception.

FYI: My "claim to fame" was, while teaching in a high school, back in circa 1967, I introduced William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" to a tenth grade class.... was the first teacher in the U.S. ever to do so. The Pennsylvania Department of Education then made the short book mandatory reading in all PA high schools. Then it went nation wide.